Kotaku EastEast is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.

In Japan, fake food can look very, very real. It's called "shokuhin sample" (食品サンプル) or "food sample", and it appears outside restaurants so customers can know what they are ordering.

Website DannyChoo.com recently visited a Tokyo shop called "Maizuru" that specializes in selling shokuhin sample. Most restaurants work closely with plastic food makers to accurately reproduce their dishes; however, they can still buy shokuhin sample from shops like this if they need to in a pinch—ditto for the general public!

Shokuhin sample food is not cheap, with many dishes costing over US$70—or much more.

If you are in Tokyo and want to visit Maizuru, it's located in Kappabashi Street, which is filled with cooking tools and restaurant needs.

Have a look at the delicious fake food the gallery above. There are more pics in the link below.